This invention relates to the separation of trash at a home location and, more particularly, to the bundling of newspapers for recycling.
As is well known and understood, many cities and towns across the United States presently require its residents to separate different ones of their glass, plastic, metal and paper trash for pick-up and delivery. As is also well known and understood, such requirements are also expanding internationally, and in large respects entail the separate bundling of newspapers apart from the segregated trash.
In many municipalities, moreover, these requirements further extend to the type of material used to tie the newspaper stackxe2x80x94distinguishing, for example, biodegradable material such as twine, cord and rope from non-biodegradable material such as cellophane or shrink-wrap tape. Although magazines are oftentimes prohibited by certain communities from being tied with newspapers, other communities permit the joining of them for purposes of collectionxe2x80x94with some even holding that any insert which is interleaved with a newspaper as delivered may be tied with it when being bundled by the homeowner.
As is often the situation, newspaper pick-up for recyclingxe2x80x94or conversely, their individual delivery to a central pick-up locationxe2x80x94occurs weekly or every other week. Typically, during the intervening period, the apartment dweller or homeowner allows the newspapers to accumulate. This may be done by collecting them in a cardboard carton or in a wooden crate, or by just stacking them in a garage or laundry room. When it becomes time to bring the newspapers out for curb-side pick-up or to deliver them to a central dumpster, for example, the resident then is faced with the task of tying and bundling the accumulation, frequently by getting down on the hands and knees so to do. As will be appreciated, this becomes quite cumbersome, and uncomfortable to accomplish. At the same time, the accumulation may be such that the bundled pile just stacks too high to be easily picked up for carrying by the resident or by the sanitation worker at the curb. In fact, many communities restrict the height to which the stack can be tied as a safety measure for their workers to liftxe2x80x94adding yet another inconvenience to the apartment dweller or homeowner in having to break the stack into smaller ones, to be re-bundled and re-tied for removal.
In any event, although these problems and inconveniences continue to persist, the trend is definitely present to increase the separation of the different types of one""s trash, and to bundle newspapers for recycling.
It is an object of the invention, therefore, to provide a bundling apparatus for the home recycling of newspapers which overcomes much of the inconveniences associated with their tying.
It is another object of the invention to provide such bundling apparatus of a type which can be used either by an apartment dweller or by a homeowner, alike.
It is also an object of the invention to provide such newspaper bundling apparatus in a manner to sell at retail at a price that a user would be willing to pay for it.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide such bundling apparatus of a construction to allow complete use both by men and women alike, and of no unusual strength characteristic.
As will become clear from the following description, the bundling apparatus of the present invention may be fabricated as a 1-piece mold, plastic parts and other materials as desired, and equipped with a handle and wheels to enable it to be brought to the curb-side in those locations where municipal or private pick-up is available. As will also be seen, one feature of its construction allows not only for the bundling of newspapers for recycling, but for the accumulation of glass, plastic, metal or paper trash through the separate usage of a pail or similar container housed at its base.
In particular, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes a rear wall having front and back surfaces, a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of side edges. A first side wall is incorporated having a top edge, a bottom edge, and a pair of side edges extending forwardly from the front surface of the rear wall, with one of the pair of side edges of the first side wall being coupled with one of the pair of side edges of the rear wall. First and second shelves are included, each having its own rear edge coupled with the front surface of the rear wall below its top edge, a forward edge, and a pair of side edgesxe2x80x94with one edge of one of the two shelves being coupled with the first side wall, and with the other edge of that shelf being spaced apart from a facing edge of the other shelf to form a slot between the two shelves. A source (e.g. a roll) of twine, cord, rope, tape, etc. is added, secured at the front surface of the rear wall between its top edge and the two shelves, particularly at a location substantially overlying the slot between the shelves. In accordance with the invention, a cutting edge is provided on the first side wall for slicing the twine, cord, etc. from the roll at a desired length. As described below, the two shelves of the apparatus are of a composition to support the weight of newspapers placed on them for tying, with the cutting edge being situated to slice the twine, etc. once the newspapers are bundled.
In a preferred embodiment of the construction, the first and second shelves are positioned a distance some 13 inches below the top edge of the rear wall, in establishing the height of the newspapers being bundled. In this arrangement, means may be provided in the rear wall of the bundling apparatus to permit the hanging of the apparatus, such as on an inside garage wall.
On the other hand, in a second embodiment to be described, the rear wall of the bundling apparatus may be selected of a length to allow the incorporation of a base beneath the shelves (a distance of some 26 inches away, for example), to allow for the stacking on the base of the individual piles of newspapers tied, or alternatively to allow for the support of a pail or basket, or other container for that matter, to alternatively collect the glass, plastic, metal or paper trash separations. In this arrangement, the apparatus may be essentially free-standing.
By providing a handle and a set of wheels on the back surface of the rear wall of this second version, the apparatus becomes something which can be easily manipulated in bringing down to a curb-side for pick-upxe2x80x94and, either by a man or woman, of average size.